No. 2 St. John’s Wins Seventh BIG EAST Men’s Tennis Title

Sunday, April 23

Cayce S.C. (Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center)

1 p.m.

St. John's University

Butler

No. 2 St. John’s Wins Seventh BIG EAST Men’s Tennis Title

4/23/2023 5:52:00 PM | Men's Tennis

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Diogo Marques named BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player

By: Andrew Loewe

CAYCE, S.C. – The second-seeded St. John's men's tennis team won the BIG EAST title for the second time in four years and have earned an automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships with a 4-0 victory over No. 4 Butler in the championship match of the BIG EAST Tennis Championships by Jeep on Sunday afternoon at the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center.

Diogo Marques was named the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player, after his undefeated singles and doubles performances throughout all three matches of the tournament.

St. John's won its seventh total BIG EAST title, and its fifth in the past nine seasons in the current format of the event. Head Coach Dillon Pottish has guided his squads to the title match in each of his four seasons, and won his second championship with the program.

"I'm so proud of the guys for winning the BIG EAST title," Pottish said. "The goal all year was this tournament and we got it done! Now we prepare for the NCAA Tournament and get back to work!"

The 20^th victory of the season marks the most in a year by the Red Storm since the 2016 spring season. With the win, St. John's has earned the BIG EAST's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships.

The Red Storm notched the first point of the match by winning the first two doubles matches each by a 6-1 decision. Nishant Dabas and Carl Gustafsson grabbed the first victory of the contest with a 6-1 defeat of Nicolas Arts and Borja Miralles. The Johnnies clinched the point on a victory in the top court by Diogo Marques and Axel Vila Antuna. The duo knocked off Thomas Brennan and Alvara Huete, 6-1.

In singles play, the Johnnies didn't let up winning five of the six first sets. Marques inched the Johnnies closer to victory with a 6-2, 6-3, win against Brennan in the top court. Leading two matches to none, the Red Storm could taste the victory with three matching nearing their conclusion. In a crazy ending, Gustafsson and Giuseppe De Camelis each won their matches simultaneously to clinch the championship for the Red Storm! Gustafsson staved off Miralles, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5), to grab the third victory for the Red Storm. De Camelis unknowingly clinched the title seconds later in the completion of his 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Joss. The Red Storm stormed the court after Ryota Kaneda finished his match seconds later against Arts, but was deemed unfinished as the Johnnies already had won four matches.

A joyous celebration took place on Court 15 of the Cayce Tennis and Fitness Center as the entire team stormed Kaneda's court to celebrate the championship. After the celebrating subsided, a formal presentation awarded each member of the team with a trophy.

St. John's will now await their destination in the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships as the first two rounds are set to take place on May 6-7. The 64-team field selection show time and date are to be announced. 16 teams will be chosen to host a quad of teams and the opponent and destination for the Red Storm will be revealed.